Rob Ninkovich says Odell Beckham Jr. should skip this season because of his ACL injury
As rumors of New England's interest in Odell Beckham Jr. swirl, one former Patriot advises him not to play at all.
In a recent ranking of Odell Beckham Jr.’s possible destinations, ESPN listed the Patriots as a “wild-card” option for the three-time Pro Bowl receiver.
Last fall, Beckham joined the Los Angeles Rams after being released by the Cleveland Browns. He helped put the Rams over the top and claim their first Super Bowl win since 1999.
As he recovers from a torn ACL that has caused him to miss several weeks of this season, Beckham could find himself choosing between multiple options.
But, former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich said on ESPN’s “Get Up” Thursday morning that Beckham shouldn’t be playing at all this season because of the knee injury.
“I personally think that it would probably be in his best interest to not play this season considering his ACL injury,” Ninkovich said. “I’ve had one, I know how it feels. He’s had two on the same knee. I can’t think of another receiver that’s had two-plus ACL injuries and ever come back.
“If I was him or if I was in his camp, I would say, ‘Listen, these offers aren’t what you really want to play for, so why don’t we get back to 100 percent, have a full year underneath your belt in recovery and then we’ll see where we can be.’”
Beckham, who will turn 30 next month, would be in his ninth NFL season if he plays. He’s also six years removed from his most recent Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections.
As he showed with Los Angeles last year, he can still get open from time to time and help a football team. But he’s in the back half of his career and likely approaching the end.
He may not feel like he has a whole season to burn at this point.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapport reported earlier this week that Beckham is targeting mid-November for his return to the field.
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